Alleged Banksy Art Hater Faces Vandalism Charges in L.A.

A Modesto man who says he hates modern art is facing a vandalism case in L.A. Superior Court this morning.

David William Noll, an artist, was hit with four counts of suspicion of vandalism, and at least some of those allegations were connected to the defacement of Banksy street art in L.A., according to the L.A. County District Attorney's office.

Unauthorized paint on top of unauthorized paint? Allegedly:

According to a felony complaint filed against Noll, a.k.a. William Cabeza, he's accused of committing vandalism on Dec. 13, 2013 at 9940 S. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills, on Dec. 20 at 1331 Sunset Blvd. in Angelino Heights, on Jan. 7 at 910 S. Broadway downtown, and again on Jan. 11 at that last locale.

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In each case more than $400 worth of damage was done, prosecutors allege. A preliminary hearing in the case was scheduled today.

Prosecutors say that at least some of the alleged vandalism involved defacing the work of renowned British street artist Banksy, whose pieces, sometimes removed from walls and sold, can be worth six figures and beyond.

Modesto television station News 10 says LAPD detectives arrested Noll in that Central Valley city following the alleged crimes. The station said he has been homeless, has fought with his parents and has mental health issues. He told News 10:

I have this bipolar problem and it's really been difficult to deal with. And it's, you know, the tirades and things like that, I've just had a rough go of it. I'm finally on medication ...

Noll put this statement up on his LinkedIn page:

My lifelong goal is to NOT stop battling until mODERN aRT as we know it is destroyed.

So why arrest Noll and not Banksy, who allegedly "vandalized" the walls in the first place? Cops told TMZ it's all about receiving complaints. Nobody complained about the valuable Banksy work. But they complained when his work was allegedly defaced.

Noll faces a possible five years behind bars if he's convicted.

[Updated at 5 p.m.]: Noll made a deal, apparently. A District Attorney's official tells us he pleaded guilty to two counts of vandalism and will get three years probation as a result.

He still might have to pay restitution, however. A hearing was set for July 8.

L.A. Weekly staff writer Dennis Romero has worked on staff at several magazines and newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, where he participated in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the L.A. riots. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone online, the Guardian, and, as a young stringer, the New York Times.